Putin accuses West of 'total disregard' for Russia

Russian President set off his actions as a response to NATO actions in Eastern Europe, and says that he opposes confrontation in international relations.

St. PETERSBURG (QHA) -

Speaking at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russia's President Vladimir Putin said that the logic of international relations cannot be based on confrontation.

"I would not like to think that we come to some sort of "cold war." I am sure that no one wants it. We definitely do not want that," said Putin.

However, trying to explain the aggressive Russian actions in Ukraine and Syria, he said that Russia had faced disregard for its position at one time, including the situation with missile defense and NATO expansion.

"For some reason you need to constantly expand the NATO infrastructure and move to Russia's borders. Here again, they accept Montenegro. Who threatens Montenegro? That is, you know, total disregard for our position... in all," he said.

The Kremlin chief position looks quite contradictory if we remember his previous statements.

In addition, he said that he could "work in peace" with the current leadership of Ukraine, if they "had obtained their position in a democratic way." At the same time, Putin agreed with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko regarding the issue of strengthening the OSCE mission in Donbass, up to its arming.

According to the Russian State Duma deputy Ilya Ponomarev, who was deprived of his mandate on June 10, Russia will come into open conflict with NATO in 2017 to ensure that Putin will run the next 2018 presidential elections as "a man who has defeated NATO", and not the man who has suffered military setbacks in eastern Ukraine.